This is a post mostly for the girls in our readership, so sorry guys if we’re boring you with nail polish shades talk, but as most of my female buddies know, there’s no such thing as too many nail polish bottles in one’s collection, if you happen to have a thing for this. Getting your hands on a new order of polishes is like receiving Christmas gifts in advance or the best candy of your life. I’ve witness female friends exhibit a strange Smeagol glow in their eyes while they were unwrapping their new polish bottles and calling them “precious” (ok, that may be an exaggeration, but you get the idea). The point is, everyone using nail polishes is always a bit excited about how shiny and candy-like new nail polish shades can be, and as soon as a new season hits, it can be pretty awesome to see what new collections the big brands will release.

So, for today, we’ve made a small selection of the nail polish shades we’re most excited about in the current season of fall-winter 2014. If summer seasons are usually known for neon colors and jelly textures, when fall hits in, nail polish shades take a turn to the darker side and become rich and saturated. But besides this general guideline, not every shade you can expect to see in the fall is along the dark red or brown or plum lines. Things can get pretty interesting, especially since fall colors are usually released together with nail polish shades for the winter holidays, which are especially glitzy and creative and party-fit. Without further ado, these are the top 5 nail polish shades we’re most excited about for this current season of fall-winter 2014.

Everyone loves red nail polish shades since they are considered a classic and feminine answer to matching almost any outfit. A drop of red can revive anything and works with every skin tone. But even though red is a classic for all the right reasons, it can also get a bit predictable and boring. Well, this seems to be precisely the kind of dilemma which the Cinnamon Sweet shade was created: a different kind of red, with a softer edge and velvet undertones crossing the borders between pink and coral. You can’t quite put your finger on what kind of a red it is, all you know is that it looks soft and pretty, like a cinnamon bun. Oh, and the color was Gwen Stefani’s idea, so now we have all the more reason to get it.

Speaking of fall colors, purple is another classic, and from all the nail polish shades that we’ve seen over the last years, Viking in a Vinter Vonderland is the prettiest. It’s as deep as a six-month Finland night and you feel tempted to stare into it as into a bottomless purple abyss. Also, any dark purple or dark blue would make a wonderful base for our next entry on the list, the star of the nail polish shades for this season.

The prettiest nails in the entire galaxy, pun intended. Sure, we’ve all seen our fair share of glitter nail polishes, but not quite as fascinating as this one. Applied over a dark blue base, as in the picture here, this irregular galaxy-like glitter can create the most mesmerizing effect on your nails, the kind of thing you previously only got from a pro session at the salon.

4. Orly Tinsel (from the Holiday 2014 Sparkle Collection)

Orly Tinsel

Another great glitter polish, this one basically screams Christmas when applied over a simple white base, as in the picture here. The long green bar glitter looks just like pine needles, white the small red glitter makes everything festive and tingly. One of the best choices of the season to apply over light nail polish shades (right after Comet in the Sky, which remains our absolute fave).

5. Zoya Dovima (from the Matte Velvet 2014 collection)

Zoya Dovima

You will be going to a lot of parties in the coming holiday season, and a little black dress never fails to impress. While shiny and glittery nails are almost a go-to for any party opportunity, consider how classy and satin-like a matte black would look on your nails, especially one with such a delicate and eerie silver shimmer. Even though glitter nail polish shades are awesome, try something different.